So before I give you another accounting rule we are enforcing, let me say the goal is to protect your investment! We live in a very litigious society and need to be aware of potential risks and ways to protect our assets. Commonwealth employees are insured through workers' compensation policies and also provided regular training regarding workplace safety. Another area we are striving to improve risk management and compliance is in the area of hiring contractors. When a contractor is hired, the onsite manager must obtain verification that the contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured. In addition, a Form W-9 must be provided for purposes of reporting non-employee compensation on a Form 1099-Misc at the end of the year.

Our RV park has had problems with theft and the occasional physical confrontation between tenants and/or tenant's guests. Under Oregon law, what minimum level of security do we owe to our RV tenants? Do we need to hire a security guard?

A well management community is essential to making life easier and more pleasant for management and residents.  Here are 10 mistakes to avoid in the management of your community.  Remember - a well managed community - good property management - results in happier residents, pride in the community, encourages resident referrals and discourages the need or desire for additional landlord-tenant legislation.

So - here are ten mistakes to avoid:

On July 26, 1990, President Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (the "1991 Regulations") were shortly thereafter developed to guide new construction and alterations undertaken by covered entities and established the minimum requirements for "accessibility" for disabled persons in buildings and facilities and in transportation vehicles. After more than twenty years, the Department of Justice implemented new regulations, which became mandatory in 2012 (the "2012 Regulations.") Your state may have passed parallel laws, which could increase the protection of individuals with disabilities, e.g., the Unruh Act in California. However, this article focuses on Federal ADA compliance. Keep in mind that the ADA is a civil rights law, which addresses a number of subjects, but this article focuses on ac- cessibility (no longer called "handicap") issues only.

For better than two decades, one of the most significant and unpredictable factors influencing the bottom line of multifamily housing properties has been rising utility costs. This doesn't cause quite as much heartburn for property owners who have wisely passed such utilities through to the residents to pay in addition to their rent. However, for the overwhelming majority of properties, particularly those which were developed prior to the 90's, the rent charged typically includes any combination of utilities including water, sewer, garbage, and to a lesser percentage electricity, natural gas, cable television/satellite, and internet services.

The title of this Community Update should have caught your attention. It is not a gimmick, I have done it myself. Adam Cook's MHCO Community Update article, "Can You Afford to Keep Utilities Included in Your Rent?" from last week is spot on! My answer is no, I cannot and no longer do".

We all know it is far easier to maintain a resident than find one who will fill a vacant space within a community. This is particularly true in 55+ communities. To be great at resident retention, managers need to believe strongly in the lifestyle that has led many seniors to a manufactured housing way of life. Managers must be helpful, respectful, enthusiastic and work relentlessly to continuously improve their seniors' lifestyles.

The SAFE Act has received a lot of attention lately by park owners, but did you know that it's really only one law of many state and federal lending regulations you are required to comply with when selling homes on contract?

Submetering is the process of installing a water, gas or electric meter on each mobile home after the master utility meters for the mobile home park. The term "submeter" is used for any meter installed after the master meter. With submeters installed at every mobile home the association is able to utilize a third party meter reading and billing company to read the meters and produce monthly bills for the selected utilities.